I don't have much to add to what I already
wrote about Mkhitaryan. I'll just say that if anyone thinks 20 million will buy you a player with the passing of Pirlo, close control of Silva, and the shooting ability of Gerrard, you'll be disappointed - it doesn't. Mkhitaryan is NOT a playmaker, but he is very much a team player, a fine goalscorer and he has a big bag of tricks. And by the way scoring in the Ukrainian league is VERY HARD, all teams defend with numbers, so the last player with over 20 goals per season was Shevchenko many years ago and he was a centre-forward. Mkhitaryan scored 25, playing in midfield, all from open play.
I think it's a bigger risk to buy a player AFTER their breakthrough season, which is what we seem to be doing in this case. Expectations are higher now (including the player's own expectations of themselves - that can be the biggest problem sometimes), add to that the difficulties of transition to another league - it will not be easy. I believe, however, that Mkhitaryan is smart and even-tempered enough to make it work in the end; he will probably go through a period of adjustment, but if he feels the trust of the manager and the support of the fans, he'll adjust quicker. Here is what I expect if Mkhitaryan moves to Liverpool:
First 6 months:
Shows some flashes of skill, but misses some easy chances created for him by Coutinho and in general looks a bit too timid. Starts around half of the games and has 1 goal and 2 assists to show for it. "He doesn't score, doesn't tackle - all he's good for is running about" is the fans' verdict.
2nd half of the season:
Scores several important/game winning goals and starts playing with more confidence. The defensive side of his game improves. Possibly misses some time through injury. Fans start noticing that whenever he is not playing, we have noticeably less cutting edge in the team. Final season tally: 7 goals, 4 assists.
2nd year and onwards:
First team player and scores 15+ goals in every season under Rodgers.
